Author Archives: Dad

Rule #2019: A Pirate Looks at 59 In the final days of the year, I find myself doing less reflection on the year that’s ending and more preparation for the year ahead. This will be my last year in my … Continue reading →

Rule #250:  You need a “go to drink” I’ve never been much of a drinker, I can count on one hand the number of times in my life that I’ve over indulged. It never made sense to me why people … Continue reading →

Rule #382: The Sisyphus Rule Life is hard. Life is unfair. Life is wonderful. When Zeus enchanted the rock that King Sisyphus was condemned to push, he knew the king was doomed to an eternity of frustration. It was a … Continue reading →

Rule #178: The Santa Rule I’ve always been a fan of Santa. Not because I want Christmas to be a shopping spree, but because—let’s be honest—the guy is a total badass. He’s got an industrial-scale toy factory, a private army … Continue reading →

GOOD DOG Nittany 2006 -2017 Life is hard. I say that a lot in this blog. But one of the gifts God gives us to make life a little less hard is the companionship of animals. In our family, that … Continue reading →

    Rule #97: NEVER live in Florida! Florida is proof that God has a sense of humor: a swamp covered in asphalt, bugs the size of housecats, and weather that feels like Satan’s hot tub. I’ve often said the … Continue reading →

ule #102: $300 Charge for Vomiting in the Cab Yesterday in Fort Myers, I took a cab from the hotel to the airport. Both back windows had 8×10 signs screaming: “$300 CHARGE FOR VOMITING IN THE CAB” My first thought: … Continue reading →

Rule #94: Live Deliberately – The Snowshoe Rule “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still inside them.” — Henry David Thoreau, Walden That line has been echoing for more … Continue reading →

Rule #71: When in Doubt, Seek Structure Throughout life, you will find yourself lost at different times. Lost in direction, in purpose, in meaning. In those moments, you will feel most vulnerable to depression and self-harm. When focus slips, life … Continue reading →

Rule #93: Snowflakes Melt – Don’t Be a Snowflake Rarely do things go exactly my way. Kids get sick, things break, business deals fall through—life is a grind. But even in the grind, I’m grateful. I wake every morning with … Continue reading →